| |
I couldn’t believe this. How had my life collapsed around me in such a short space of time? I didn’t understand.
“Cat, are you ok?”
I turned and looked at Luke, his whiskey brown eyes full of care and concern, and shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t even know what to think right now.”
“Do you want a hug?”
I really did, more than anything, but I’d been trying my hardest to deny my feelings for Luke. Being close to him would only make that worse. As much as I’d convinced myself this thing between us was born out of insecurities, I knew deep down it was much more than that. I didn’t even know what I had with Marcus anymore, let alone trying to bring Luke into the equation.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m ok.”
He cocked his head to one side. “Cat.” He held his arms out. “Come on.”
More than emotionally battered, I couldn’t resist. I needed some comfort and stability. Without a second more of hesitation, I flung myself at him. As soon as he curled his arms around me, I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. Hearing the steady beat of his heart soothed my soul and the warmth of his body radiated peace into my core. I’d never felt more at home than I did in his arms.
That thought alone terrified me through and through. I knew he had feelings for me but that didn’t mean I was going to take advantage of it. He’d made it clear that crossing boundaries wasn’t acceptable just as much as I had, even if I had been tempted.
“I’m always here for you, Cat. You know that,” he whispered, stroking the back of my head.
“I know, thank you.”
He hugged me tighter and pressed a kiss to my hair. “You’ve no need to thank me.”
I couldn’t hold back the tears then. They leaked out of my eyes, silent, but in streams, soaking his shirt in a matter of minutes.
“Hey,” he said, pulling back slightly. He tilted my chin up and said, “Don’t cry. You’re too pretty to cry, especially over Marcus bloody Davenport.”
I giggled. “It’s not just him. I just feel very overwhelmed by everything.”
“Ok,” he said, pushing me back into the solidarity of his chest. “Because he doesn’t deserve your tears.”
I smiled. The more everything seemed to be unravelling around me, the more I realised I probably had a whole world of lies and revelations to pick my way through. The hardest thing would be knowing who I could trust.
***
DAD LOOKED DREADFUL. I made it to his room in time just as he woke up. His skin looked sallow and saggy and seemed to have a consistency like tissue paper, as if the slightest thing would tear it beyond repair. Dark circles shadowed his eyes and with his cheekbones protruding he looked ghoulish.
Without a doubt seeing him like this was the worst thing I had ever seen. I couldn’t believe this was my dad. In that instant, I knew the veil of death was hanging over him, just waiting for the moment to drop the final curtain. The man I loved all my life was wasting away in front of me and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
Or was there?
Seeing him looking so terrible immediately squashed my appetite but I forced the scrambled eggs and toast down me so he didn’t worry there was anything wrong.
“Do you mind if I have a nap before we take a look at the books again?” he asked, even his voice weak and fragile.
“Of course not. I’ll go help with the rooms and check back in about an hour.”
He patted my hand and closed his eyes, dozing off back to sleep. I bit my lip to stem the flow of tears welling up. If eating exhausted him, how long really did he have left?
As quietly as I could, I crept out of his room and ran upstairs to find Joanna. I found her at the end of the first floor. I guessed she’d used some ‘additional’ help to get this far in an hour.
“Hey,” she said, grinning as she saw me running towards her.
I bundled her into the nearest room and closed the door. “You have to help me.”
She frowned. “With what?”
“With my dad. There must be something you can do to stop him dying!”
“We work magic, Cat, not miracles.”
“Same thing.”
She shook her head. “No, it really isn’t. The kindest thing to do would be to alleviate his suffering.”
I took a step back. “What?”
“Do you like seeing him in so much pain?”
“Of course not.”
“Then wish for it to happen sooner rather than later because he is in agony, Cat.”
“I just want my dad,” I said, my voice cracking. “There must be something you can do.”
Joanna stepped forwards and gave me a hug. “We can’t save someone from death when they’re this far gone, Cat, I’m sorry. It’s his time.”
I pulled away and looked her in the eye. “Are you just saying that so his magic gets recycled back?”
Her eyes widened and filled with surprise. “My goodness, no. If we wanted his magic that bad, he’d be dead already.” She clamped a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. That came out harsher than I expected.”
I shook my head. “It’s ok. I’m sorry. My head is all over the place today.”
“You’ve had a lot happen in a short space of time.” She put her hand on mine and said, “I know Keres gave you a memory unlock potion. Go and give it to him and enjoy the time you have left talking about everything.”
I had the vial in my pocket. “Ok, thank you.”
“I’m here whenever you need to talk. Go and spend the day doing something fun and clear your mind. I’ve got the rooms.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. Now go.”
I nodded and wandered back downstairs. I could hear Dad’s snores from outside his room. Sophie looked like she had a hand on things in the kitchen which left me at a bit of a loose end. I wandered back through the kitchen and outside, heading to my apartment, when Luke opened my apartment door.
“Ah, there you are,” he said, a coy smile on his face. “Come on.”
I frowned. “Come on, what?”
“You’re coming with me for the day.”
“Where?”
“Riding.”
I squealed in delight. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
He pulled his lips tight and said, “We’ll have to take your car though...”
“Ok...not that I mind, but why?”
He scratched the back of his head and said, “Well, I kind of didn’t drive over here last night.”
“How did you...oh. Really?”
He nodded. “I was rather angry. We’re faster than those leeches.” He smirked. “I don’t think he was expecting me to turn up so quickly.”
“Oh, for goodness sake, quit it already with the pissing contest, will you?” I rolled my eyes and turned towards my apartment. “Let me get my keys.”
He chuckled. “Stay here. Let me get your keys.”
“They’re on the—”
“I got it,” he said, smiling.
Seconds later he emerged with my keys. He walked around to the passenger side and opened the door. I stood staring at him.
“I’m holding the door open for you,” he said.
“It’s my car, I’m driving,” I said, opening the drivers door.
“Oh no you’re not. I don’t get driven around by women. It’s my job to drive them around.”
“Well, today you’re redundant.”
He snorted. “I don’t think so.”
“You don’t have insurance,” I said, giving him a triumphant smile.
“I have a trade policy. I’m covered to drive anything.”
I scowled. “My car, I’m driving.”
“Fine,” he said, throwing me the keys. “But if you don’t let me drive, then I’m not letting you ride.”
My jaw dropped. “That is so not fair.”
He winked. “I can play just as dirty.”
I cursed him under my breath. Then, with all the strength I could muster, chucked the keys back at him. He caught them in one hand, cool as a cucumber, and with a stupid Chesire cat grin on his face.
“Just enjoy my chivalry,” he said, still holding the door open for me. “There’s not much of it left in this world.”
I glared at him but said nothing as I climbed into the passenger seat of my own car. He shut the door and chuckled at my seething expression. Karma was yet to come though. He sat in the drivers seat and then looked around the car, his eyes bulging as he took in all the rubbish, loose stones, and bits of fluff.
“Bet you want me to drive now, hmmm?”
“Does a homeless person live in here?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at me.
“Carry on and find out.”
He laughed. “Seriously, Cat, this is gross. What is wrong with you?”
“I’m a busy girl. A lot of my food is grab and go.”
“And you clearly think you’re driving a bin.”
“I do remember you offered to clean it actually...”
He wagged his finger from side to side at me. “Oh, no, no, no. We had a pinky promise that if I broke it, this was the punishment. You have no worries about me breaking that promise, that’s for sure.”
“Chicken.”
“No, I just appreciate my health.”
“Which considering you’re supernatural, you have better health than us humans.”
He grinned. “You’re not human.”
“Goddammit.”
He laughed and struck up the engine. He instantly lowered both windows and reversed the car out of its space.
“What are you doing?” I said, pushing the button for my window to go back up.
“Airing it out of any mould spores.”
I laughed. “Oh, come on. It’s not that bad.”
He pushed a button on the drivers side door which locked the windows in place. The freezing October air bit at my cheeks as he drove down the road. I said nothing, intent that he was not going to get the last laugh at this.
“I have another idea,” he said, the tone of amusement in his voice making me want to instantly groan.
“Do I dare even ask?”
I looked at him to see him grinning like an idiot. “Remember that whole thing with the car...”
“What thing with the car?”
“About going to buy a new one in trashy clothes.”
I groaned. “No, Luke, no.”
“Come on, it’ll be fun.”
“I don’t want to go miles away with Dad being so poorly.”
“We won’t go miles away. York at the furthest, I promise.”
“But that’s like an hour and a half away, Luke. What if something happens?”
“Then we come back.”
“But it’ll take ages.”
“Well, where I was planning on going riding is three hours.”
I gawped. “Three hours there?”
He nodded.
“Are you lying to me just to get me to agree to this ridiculous car idea?”
He slapped a hand over his heart. “Would I do such a thing?”
“Yes.”
“I’m hurt, Cat, genuinely hurt.”
“Sure,” I said, fighting the urge to smile. “Fine. Let’s do it. Shut you up about it at least.”
“Are you serious?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Don’t make me say it again.”
He pounded his hands on the steering wheel, clearly excited to say the least. “You’ve no idea how much you just made my day.”
“I’m thinking clearly I have no idea how much I just ruined my day.”